Door-operating mechanism for refrigerator cars



, y 9, 1929- s. B. HASELTINE noon OPERATING MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATORCARS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. ;6

1929. s. 5-3A5ELT1NE DQOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR R Filed Jan l6Patented July 9, 1929. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STACY ,B. HASELTINE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER,INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

Application filed January 16, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanism forrefrigerator cars.

An object of the invention is to provide a door operating mechanism forrefrigerator cars of simple design, wherein the shaft of the operatingmechanism is given a rolling movement parallel to the face of the door,and wherein the ends of the shaft have actuating portions offset withrespect to the axis of the shaft, which actuating portions cooperatewit-h keepers on the car to effect movement of the door in opening andclosing directions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appearfrom the description and claims hereinafter following. In the drawingsforming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apor tion of a refrigerator car showing the doors thereof and myimprovements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a broken Verticalsectional view of the invention substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,showing parts of the mechanism in side elevation and parts incross-section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view on an enlargedscale, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 1 is a horizontal,sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line ll of Fig. 2,showing the lower door keeper in elevation with the operating shaftpartially in section, and indicating in dotted lines the position of theoperating shaft and door when the same is at the limit of the openingoperation.

In the drawings, 10 and 11 designate hinged refrigerator our doors, saiddoors being provided with beveled meeting edges, as indicated at 12, inthe usual manner, and suitable packings are provided on said meetingedges and also around the outer edges of the doors and door frame. Thedoors 10 and 11 are swingably supported on the usual hinge members 1313.As is customary, the operating shaft is mounted on the last door to beclosedthat is, the door 11 in the structure as shown. Vhcn the door 10has been finally closed it may be secured by the usual latch 12.

The improved door operating mechanism comprises broadly, a shaft A; apivoted operating handle B; a pair of guide brackets CC; a pair ofactuating elements D-D; and a pair of keepers E-E.

The operating shaft A, as shown, comprises an intermediate connectingmember 14.,

Serial No. 81,619.

which, in the present invention, is made up of a section of pipe ofsuitable diameter, the pipe section being compressed adjacent the lowerend to provide a flat portion 15, upon which is pivotally mounted theforked end 16 of the usual handle B, the rivet 17 being utilized topivotally secure the forked portions of the handle end to the flatport-ion 15. The opposite ends of the shaft A are provided with endmembers 1818, which are similar in construction, and a detaileddescription of the construction of one will sutfice for both, similarreference characters being utilized to designate like parts. Each endmember 18 preferably is of composite construction and includes a hollowmutilated gear 19, provided with a sleeve 20, and preferably cast withinthe gear 19 and sleeve 20, is the intermediate portion 21 of theoperating element, the portion 21 being provided with an abutment 22against which the inner end of the sleeve 20 bears. Inwardly of saidabutting portion is a collar 23, and inwardly of said collar is a shank2 1, said shank fitting within the end of the pipe section and beingsecured therein by rivets 25, the collar 23 bearing against the edges ofthe pipe section, and in the case of the lower end of the shaft, restingagainst the guide bracket G to support the shaft. The outer end of theoperating member is pro vided with the actuating element D, includingthe crank arm 26, and projecting pin 27 which is adapted to cooperatewith the related keeper E in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

The opposite ends of the shaft A extend through the guide brackets C-C,which are mounted adjacent the upper and lower edges of the door 11.Each of said brackets comprises an inner wall 28 secured to the doorface by a plurality of bolts 29, the heads of said bolts being disposedin recesses 30 in the outer face of said inner wall. Side walls 31 areprovided, and spaced from the inner wall 28, and offset with respect tosaid inner wall and connecting said side walls, is an outer wall 32. Theinner face of the outer wall 32 is provided with a rack 33 adapted tocooperate with the teeth of the mutilated gear 19, as best shown inFigure 3.

The keepers E-E are secured to the door frame in line with the operatingshaft, each keeper having webs 34 through which the securing bolts areextended. Each keeper E presided with. a. recess 35, walls 36 of saidrecess for the major portion thereof position, the shaft and crank pins27 are being disposed in substantially parallel realined substantiallyat right angles to the lation with the face of the door frame, and faceof the door, which all'ords a much better with each other, said wallsbeing thereafter lock than that provided in constructions curvedoutwardly, as indicated at 37, and where the crank and shaft are offsetwhen at their extremities providing an opening 88 in locked. position,this arrangement being for the entrance of the pin 27 of theactupermitted by the combinedmovable shaft and ating member D to therecess in the keeper. the crank means thereon. Another impor- Theoperation of my improved door optant feature of the invention resides inplacing crating mechanism is as follows, assuming the racks, whichcooperate with the gears on the parts to be in the position shown inFig. the shaft to etfect translation thereof, upon 1. In opening thedoor the shaft A is rotated 'he inner surfaces of the outer walls of theb moving th handle B counter-clockwise guide brackets, as this effects amore rapid away from the door 10. Due to meshing of and e'liicientengagen'ient, and disengagement, the gears 19 with the racks 33, theshaft A of the pins 27 with the keepers, as it will be will roll alongthe surface of the door in a appreciated that the pins 27 tend torollover direction toward the left and through a plane he keeper wallsduring a closing operation, parallel with the face thereof. During thisrather than sliding thereon. movement of the shaft, th crank arms 26lVhile I have herein shown and described and pins 27 will be rotatedabout the axis what I now consider the preferred manner of the bodyportion of the shaft A, the pins of arrying out the invention, the sameis 27 bearing upon the inner straight walls 36 merely illustrative, andI contemplate all of the keepers EE to force the door outchanges andmodifications that come within wardly, such movement continuing untilthe he cope of he claims appended hereto. shaft has moved to a pointbeyond the I claim: straight portions 36, when the pins 27 will 1. In adevice of the character described, bear upon the inner curved walls 37of the the combination with a member having a keepers, the translationof the shaft due to door opening and a hinged door; of means meshing ofthe gears 19 with the racks 83, and for opening and closing said door,including the rotation of the cranks, being continued a rotary shafthaving crank means which is until the parts are in the positionindicated provided with an actuating portion offset in dotted lines inFig. 4, whereupon the door with respect to said shaft; keepers on saidmay be swung freely to open position. Upon member adapted to be engagedby said offset swinging the handle in the reverse direction, portions toeffect opening and closing movethe shaft A will be rotated in theopposite diment of said door; guide brackets mounted rection to thatheretofore described, and efon the door adjacent the ends of said shaftfeet a rolling movement of the shaft and r and cooperating therewith;and rack and tation of the cranks in a reverse direction to gearconnections between said shaft and said that which they had during thedoor opening brackets for causing rolling movement of operation. At theinception of the door clossaid shaft, said gear being disposed betweening operation, it will be noted that due to the rack and the door.placing the racks 33 upon the inner faces of 2. I11 a device of thecharacter described, the outer walls of the brackets, that the dithecombination with a member having a rection of rotation of the pins 27 issubstandoor opening and a'hinged door; of means tially in the directionof travel of the shaft for opening and closing said door; includingtoward the right, as viewed in Fi g. 1, so that a rotary shaft havingcrank means, each of the pins 27 are quickly moved into engagewhich isprovided with an actuating portion ment with the openings 88 of thekeeper. offset with respect to said shaft; keepers on Continued movementof the pins 27 will cause said member adapted to be engaged by said thesame to bear upon the outer walls 36, ollset portions to effect openingand closing causing the door to be forced inwardly. This movement ofsaid door; guide brackets action will continue until the shaft andmounted on the door adjacent the ends of said cranks have assumed theposition shown in shaft, each of said brackets including an full linesin Fig. 1, when the door will be inner wall secured to the door and anouter tightly closed. wall provided with a rack; and a gear on said Itwill be observed that the above do shaft located adjacent each bracketand scribed arrangement permits the use of'ktaepadapted to engage withthe rack thereon. ers which have walls disposed parallel with 3. As anarticle of manufacture, a hollow the face of the door, and hence affordsa lockdoor operating shaft in the form of a pipe 111g surface whichprevents undesirable section, said shaft having operating endpormovement ordinarily occurring in constructions thereon, each of whichcomprises a holt-ions where the engaging faces of the keepers low gearmember and an operating element are inclined outwardly with respect tothe lixed within said gear member and having a door frame. It alsoshould be noted that shank at one end, said shank being disposed whenthe shaft and cranks are in fully closed in the hollow end of said shaftand fixed thereto, and the other end of said operating member comprisingan actuating portion, said gears being adapted to coact with brackets ona car door, and said actuating portions being adapted to coact withkeepers on the door frame.

4. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having adoor opening and a pivoted door; of keeper means mounted on said member,said keeper means having an entrance adjacent the free edge of saiddoor, and having engaging surfaces BX tending inwardly from the freeedge of said door when closed; a shaft mounted on said door and providedwith eccentric means adapted to engage said keeper means to effectopening and closing movement of the door, said shaft being provided witha handle adapted to be swung radially to rotate said shaft; and meansfor effecting bodily movement of said shaft upon rotation thereof, saidmeans operating to cause travel of said shaft toward the free edge ofthe door when said shaft is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction,and to cause travel of said shaft in the reverse direction upon movementin a clockwise direction.

5. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having adoor opening and a pivoted door; of keeper means mounted on said member,said keeper means having an entrance adjacent the free edge of saiddoor, and having engaging surfaces extending inwardly from the free edgeof said door when closed; a shaft mounted on said door and provided witheccentric means adapted to engage said keeper means to effect openingand closing movement of the door, said shaft being provided with ahandle adapted to be swung radially to rotate said shaft; and means foreffecting bodily movement of said shaft upon rotation thereof, saidmeans operating to cause travel of said shaft toward the free edge ofthe door when said shaft is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction,and to cause travel of said shaft in the.

reverse direction upon movement in a clockwise direction, said meanscomprising guide brackets having racks spaced from the face of the doorand disposed outwardly of the shaft, said shaft having gears adapted tocooperate with said racks to effect the bodily movement ofsaid shaft.

6. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a memberhaving a door opening and a hinged door; of operating means for openingand closing said door, including a rotary shaft mounted on said door andhaving a crank member fixed thereto, and provided with an off-setactuating port-ion thereon; keeper means having an engaging facedisposed substantially parallel with the face of said member and adaptedto be engaged by said actuating portion; and means co-operating withsaid shaft to effect simultaneous bodily shifting and rotation of saidshaft and actuating portion with respect to said keeper during closingof said door so as to align the axes of said actuating portion and saidshaft in a plane substantially perpendicular to the engaging face ofsaid keeper means, when the door is closed.

7. In a door operating mechanism of the. character described, thecombination with a member having a door opening and a hinged door; ofmeans for opening and closing said door, including a rotary shaft havingan angular arm portion and an actuating portion on said arm olf-set withrespect to said shaft, said actuating portion being free to haveswinging movement; eo-acting means on said shaft and door forsimultaneously effecting bodily travel of said shaft along the face ofsaid door and rotation of said shaft; and keeper means secured to saidmember and adapted to be engaged by the actuating portion on saidangular arm.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 7th day of January, 1926.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

